Mayor Rahm Emanuel is already picking up where Richard M. Daley left off in making Chicago more bicycle-friendly, but it was Richard J. Daley who in 1971 inaugurated the first bike lanes on city streets.

Carter Harrison II discovered even earlier that what's good for bicycling is good politics. The slogan of Harrison's run for mayor of Chicago in 1897 was, "Not a champion cyclist, but the cyclists' champion." Support from powerful bicycle clubs helped Harrison win office, and he was re-elected four times, just like his father.

Those are just a couple of the historical nuggets about the history and culture of bicycling in Chicago in a new book, "Where to Bike Chicago: Best Biking in City and Suburbs," by Greg Borzo.

The book's publication coincides with an array of city bicycling events in June as part of Bike Chicago 2011. Details are at bikechicago.us.

In "Where to Bike Chicago," it's the bike trips that Borzo selected — 72 rides across Chicago and the suburbs — that make this guide valuable, especially for bicyclists who haven't ventured out of their neighborhoods or their comfort zones.

Twenty-seven of the rides are labeled "Kids' Rides" because they are short and traffic-free.

The book, published by BA Press, introduces each ride with a summary that rates its difficulty level on a five-point scale from beginner to experienced bicyclist. It lists the distance of the trail and the mileage from downtown Chicago and notes whether the trail head is convenient to mass transit. It also gives driving directions, describes the terrain and whether vehicle traffic will be encountered on the route, and mentions if water and food are available along the route.

Borzo rode each of the 72 trips, and he chronicled each experience with a map and a "Ride Log" that offers brief comments and directions next to the mileage marking of each entry.

Even on marked trails, the log is a helpful navigational tool that might save riders from getting lost or, by reading about the ride before setting out, prepare them for what's ahead. For instance, at the 5.7 mile mark along the Deer Grove Trail & Palatine Trail, the book's notation reads, "Slow down for small wood bridge."

Borzo, a longtime bicyclist, thought he knew all the bike trails and paths in the Chicago region before he started doing research for the book, which included cycling almost 2,000 miles, he said.

"This book forced me to try dozens of new rides, and I was amazed at how incomplete my picture of the bike scene was," he said.

Some great trails are underused, he said, even near downtown or the lakefront.

"The 1.3-mile loop on Northerly Island is usually empty, even on weekends in the summer," he said.

On a recent Sunday ride by your Getting Around reporter along the West Branch DuPage River Trail in Warrenville, the book saved me from taking a wrong turn that would have dumped me onto busy Butterfield Road.

"Where to Bike Chicago" is organized nicely, easy to use and, yes, accurate. It will fit inside a bike bag, too.

Upcoming Bike Chicago 2011 events include:

•"Bike chic: Commuter fashion hits the runway," a presentation of the latest bike wear and how bicycling can be stylish, noon June 9, Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St., Chicago.

•A screening of "Biking the Boulevards," 6 p.m. June 13, Goose Island Brewpub, 1800 N. Clybourn St., Chicago.

•Greg Borzo lecture on the history of biking in Chicago, noon June 14, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago.

•"Loop Bike Tour," 6 p.m. June 15, Buckingham Fountain, Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway (preregistration required at bikechicago.us).

•"Bike Chicago Movies in the Park," at dusk June 16, Grant Park, northwest corner of Columbus and Balbo drives.

•"Bike to Work Rally," 7:30-9:30 a.m. June 17, Daley Plaza.

Contact Getting Around at jhilkevitch@tribune.com or c/o the Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Read recent columns at chicagotribune.com/gettingaround